chapter 7
1424 Words
Zulfishan stared at the blank screen.
Salman’s video kept echoing in her mind:
> “You were always the main piece.”
She sat in silence while Aabi paced the office.
“What does he mean?” she finally asked. “Why would I be the main piece?”
Aabi looked at her seriously. “Maybe it’s not about what you’ve done… but who you are.”
Zulfishan frowned. “You think this goes back to my past?”
He nodded. “There’s something we’re missing. Something they know about you… that you don’t.”
Her hands trembled a little. “Then let’s find it.”
---
The next morning, Zulfishan went to her late father’s study.
Her stepmother rarely entered the room, and it had been locked for years. But Zulfishan remembered where he used to hide the key — inside a hollow book on the top shelf.
She opened the door slowly.
The room smelled like old paper and quiet memories.
She ran her fingers over the desk, the books, the trophies. Everything seemed untouched — frozen in time.
Then she saw it.
An old metal box tucked under the table.
Inside, she found letters. Old files. A USB.
She plugged it into her laptop.
Files opened.
One folder was named: Confidential – Project X.
Zulfishan’s breath caught.
She clicked.
There were reports from years ago — her father’s notes, emails, and something called “Experimental Learning Framework” — a plan to train young interns through controlled pressure and surveillance.
A name stood out.
Salman Raza — listed as one of the "Phase 1" candidates.
Zulfishan’s eyes widened.
Her father had designed this project.
And Salman had been part of it.
---
She rushed to meet Aabi and showed him everything.
He read quickly, eyes narrowing. “So your father created Project X… to test how far young minds could be pushed?”
She nodded. “But it was meant to be a learning model. Not… this.”
Aabi looked at the list again. “There’s one more name here.”
He turned the screen.
Mawra Zaman.
Zulfishan froze.
“Mawra? She was just a child…”
“But her data was used. Her reactions studied. She was emotionally evaluated after your father’s death.”
Zulfishan sat down, shaken.
“No wonder she feels left out… used… angry.”
Aabi gently touched her shoulder. “This isn’t your fault.”
But Zulfishan wasn’t sure anymore.
Her father’s project, Salman’s involvement, Mawra’s secret pain… and now, she was caught in the middle of it all.
---
That evening, she found Mawra sitting alone in the backyard, watching the sky.
Zulfishan walked over quietly and sat beside her.
Mawra didn’t look at her.
“I found something,” Zulfishan said softly. “About Dad. About you. About… all of this.”
Mawra turned slightly. “You did?”
“You were part of Project X. So was Salman. Dad didn’t mean to hurt anyone… but it became something else. Something dangerous.”
Mawra’s lips trembled. “He used me like an experiment.”
Zulfishan shook her head. “Maybe he didn’t know how deep it would go. But I do know… I should’ve seen your pain earlier.”
Mawra looked at her for the first time. “You always had answers, Zulfishan. I just had questions.”
Zulfishan took her hand gently. “Then let’s find the truth. Together.”
For the first time in a long while… Mawra didn’t pull away.
---
Later that night, Zulfishan received a message.
Unknown Number:
“You’re getting close. But don’t trust Aabi. He’s hiding more than you think.”
Her heart dropped.
She turned to look at Aabi across the office — calm, steady, focused.
Could he… be hiding something?
Had he known more all along?
She closed the message.
For now, she would stay silent.
Because the game wasn’t over.
-------------------
Zulfishan had not slept the entire night.
The video Salman left kept repeating in her mind.
"You were always the main piece."
She didn’t understand what it meant, but it scared her. Why was she so important? Why did everyone suddenly have secrets around her?
And now… Aabi was acting strange too.
The next morning, she went to the office earlier than usual. Aabi was already there.
But something felt different.
He didn’t greet her. He didn’t even look at her.
She walked in slowly. “Aabi? Are you okay?”
He nodded without smiling. “Busy. I’ve got things to handle.”
His cold tone made her stop.
“Aabi, talk to me. You told me we’d face this together. Now you’re pushing me away.”
He finally looked up, his eyes tired and guarded.
“Zulfishan, there are some things I can’t explain right now. It’s safer if you don’t ask too many questions.”
She stared at him. “Safer for who? Me… or you?”
He didn’t answer.
Zulfishan felt a strange fear rise in her chest. The man who had once stood by her side now felt distant… like he was hiding something big.
“I need to know if you’re with me or against me,” she whispered.
“I’m with you,” Aabi said slowly. “But you won’t understand everything yet. Please… trust me just a little longer.”
Zulfishan left the room, heart heavy, unsure whether to believe him or not.
Later that day, she got a call from Salman.
“Zulfi,” he said, “Can we talk? Please. Just once. Somewhere quiet.”
She agreed — not because she wanted to, but because she needed answers.
They met at a quiet café.
Salman looked calm but alert, as if he already knew she was coming with anger.
She sat down without smiling.
“You followed me,” she said coldly. “You recorded me. And you left that message.”
Salman sighed. “I had to. You weren’t seeing the whole truth.”
“What truth? That I’m being watched? That everyone is lying to me?”
“No,” he said. “That you were chosen.”
Zulfishan stared at him. “Chosen for what?”
He leaned forward, lowering his voice.
“Your father started something powerful. Project X wasn’t just a training idea. It was a system. A way to control smart people. You were always at the center — even before you knew it.”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re different. You were supposed to lead it someday. But someone hijacked it. Now it’s being used against you.”
Zulfishan’s eyes filled with tears — not from fear, but from anger.
“I never asked for any of this,” she whispered. “And I’m telling you now, Salman… stay out of my life.”
He blinked. “I’m trying to protect you—”
“No,” she interrupted, standing up. “If you really cared, you wouldn’t hide things. You wouldn’t play games. I don’t need you.”
He tried to reach for her arm, but she pulled away.
“This is your final warning. Stay. Away. From me.”
When Zulfishan returned to the office, she found Aabi standing near the window, lost in thought.
She walked up to him slowly.
“I met Salman,” she said. “I told him to stay away.”
Aabi nodded silently.
She looked at him. “Now I need to know something from you.”
He turned to her.
“Are you keeping secrets from me, Aabi? Be honest.”
His jaw tightened.
“I am,” he said. “But not because I want to lie. I’m keeping them because if you know everything now… you might be in more danger.”
Zulfishan stared at him. “What kind of danger?”
He walked over to his drawer, pulled out a file, and placed it in front of her.
“Read this when you're alone,” he said. “It’s about your father… and the reason you're being watched.”
She picked up the file slowly, her fingers shaking.
Aabi looked into her eyes. “Just remember one thing — no matter what you read in there, I’ve always tried to protect you.”
That night, Zulfishan sat in her room with the file in her lap.
She hadn’t opened it yet.
Her hands were too cold. Her heart is too loud.
What if the truth changed everything?
She closed her eyes… and opened the file.
What she saw inside… made her stop breathing.
- Writer
